The instant invention relates to fishing tackle and more particularly to an improved fish hook construction.
Over the years it has been found that conventional fish hooks of the type which include a U-shaped hook portion having a pointed tip at one end thereof, a substantially straight shank portion which extends from the U-shaped hook portion, and an eyelet portion on the end of the shank portion have certain disadvantages. In particular, it has been found that when fish hooks of this type are utilized in certain specific applications, such as when they are incorporated in trolling or casting plugs, they are often ineffective for securely and quickly hooking the jaws of fish which attack the plugs. In this connection, it has been found that in most instances, when game fish attack live bait, they initially hold the bait in their jaws and then move away from the point of capture to reposition the bait so that it can be swallowed head first. Hence, when game fish attack plugs having conventional hooks, the hooks often remain unset for sufficiently long periods of time to enable the fish to expel the plugs and escape. Further, it has been found that in instances where fish are not able to expel plugs, the fish often become snagged in the facial areas thereof, and are irreparably damaged, to the extent that they cannot be released. Further, while attempts have been made to increase the efficiency of many types of artificial plugs by utilizing treble hooks instead of conventional single hooks, it has been found that treble hooks also frequently cause sufficient damage to fish to prevent their eventual release and that treble hooks can be hazardous to anglers as well. In addition, while other types of single fish hooks have been heretofore available which have comprised bent shank portions, including the fish hook disclosed in the U.S. patent to Campbell et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,214,398, and various other types of bent hooks, the heretofore available hooks have not been both outwardly bent to provide clearance for the jaw structures of fish and to provide substantially direct alignment between the eyelet portions thereof and the tip portions thereof. Hence, virtually all of the heretofore available fish hooks have had disadvantages which have made them less than entirely effective for use in connection with fishing plugs.
The instant invention provides an improved fish hook construction which can be utilized in connection with various types of fishing plugs for hooking and catching fish with substantially increased levels of efficiency. The fish hook construction of the instant invention can be utilized in combination with many types of conventional fishing plugs, and it comprises integrally formed hook, shank, and eyelet portions which are adapted to increase the efficiency of the hook portion for quickly penetrating the jaw structure of a fish when the fish releases a fishing plug to which the hook is attached. The hook portion is of generally U-shaped configuration, and it includes a pointed tip portion, a connected end portion, and an intermediate or bend portion therebetween, and the tip portion extends in an X direction and defines an axis of the hook. The tip portion and the intermediate portion are disposed predominantly in an X-Y plane, and the connected end portion preferably angles outwardly slightly from the plane of the tip portion and the intermediate portion in a Z direction so that the tip portion is actually angularly offset slightly. Accordingly, the connected end portion of the hook portion is spaced outwardly from the axis of the hook in the Y direction, and it preferably angles outwardly slightly in the Z direction. The eyelet portion is substantially aligned with the axis of the hook, but it is obviously spaced from the tip portion in the X direction. The hook is preferably further formed so that the shank portion extends outwardly from the connected end portion of the hook portion to a point which is spaced outwardly from the connected end portion in both the Y direction and the Z direction, and so that the shank portion thereafter extends back inwardly to the eyelet portion. In this regard, the shank portion preferably extends outwardly from the connected end portion of the hook portion to a point which is spaced outwardly from the connected end portion in the Z direction by a distance which is at least half of the distance between the connected end portion and the tip portion of the hook in the Y direction. As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, this same point is preferably spaced outwardly in the Y direction by a distance which is at least half of the distance between the connected end portion and the tip portion in the Y direction. Further, the hook is preferably formed so that the eyelet portion faces at least partially towards the tip portion.
It has been found that the hook of the instant invention can be effectively utilized in connection with a fishing plug for both hooking and catching most types of game fish with substantially increased levels of efficiency. In particular, it has been found that because the pointed tip portion and the eyelet portion of the hook of the instant invention are substantially aligned along a common axis, a force applied to the hook by a fishing line is normally substantially aligned with the tip portion. As a result, the tip portion is normally drawn more directly toward the fishing line so that under most circumstances it more efficiently engages and penetrates the jaw structure of a fish. In addition, because the tip portion is directly aligned with the eyelet portion, the tip portion is, in effect, protected by the eyelet portion so that the tip portion normally remains unset while the plug is in the fish's mouth. However, as the fish opens its mouth to reposition the plug therein, the curvature of the shank portion and the alignment of the tip portion with the eyelet portion cause the eyelet portion and the shank portion to slide around the jaw structure of the fish and lead the tip portion into penetrating engagement with the jaw structure. Further, the offset configuration of the tip portion causes the tip portion to rotate slightly so that it still more effectively penetrates the fish's jaw structure. Still further, it has been found that the outwardly bent configurations of the connected end portion of the hook portion and the shank portion provide clearance around the jaw structure of a fish to assure that the tip portion is effectively engageable with the inner jaw structure of the fish when a force is applied to the eyelet portion, although the main purpose for the bends in the shank portion is to bring the eyelet portion into alignment with the angularly offset tip portion. As a result, the hook of the instant invention is engageable with the jaw structure of a fish in a substantially more efficient and effective manner so that in most cases it is firmly set before it can be expelled by the fish. Further, the hook of the instant invention is substantially less likely to be caught in the back of the mouth since the bends shield the point until it passes over the jaw structure. Accordingly, the fish hook of the instant invention not only enhances the effectiveness of the overall fishing process, but it also permits unwanted game fish to be released with only minimal damage.
As a result of the above, it is a primary object of the instant invention to provide a fish hook which is operative with an increased level of efficiency for hooking the inner jaw structure of a fish.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide a fish hook having an outwardly bent shank portion which provides clearance to assure that the tip portion of the hook is effectively engageable with the jaw structure of a fish.
An even further object of the instant invention is to provide a fish hook which can normally be effectively and efficiently utilized for hooking and catching game fish without causing significant permanent damage thereto.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.